UNITED NATIONS, Dec 22: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday asked the member states to put aside differences over next year’s budget in the interest of saving badly needed reforms.

At a year-end press conference, during which he displayed a rare flash of temper over provocative questions on his role in the UN oil- for-food scandal, he said ongoing day-and-night budget negotiations have been marked by tensions, angry exchanges and very little progress.

“I think the atmosphere is a bit tense. Tempers are high, and there’s quite a bit of mistrust,” he said.

“There is a sense that they are operating in an atmosphere of threats and intimidation, which some of them say they resent.”

Asked his greatest regret, he said: “I wish we had done everything we could to avoid a war in Iraq that has brought such division within this organization and the international community. That is the one thing that still haunts me.”

Outlining his top priorities for 2006, Mr Annan said that alongside efforts to promote peace and combat poverty and disease, he was determined to follow through on his wide-ranging agenda of reform and renewal of the world body.